AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600 is one of five new processors based on the latest Zen 2 7nm microarchitecture. This 6-core, 12-threaded processor is priced at $199 USD and succeeds the Zen+ Ryzen 5 2600 improving upon it by 18% in terms of average effective speed and 12% in terms of overclocked performance. The 3600's base / boost clocks of 3.6 / 4.2 GHz match the previous gen hex-core Ryzen 5 2600X and therefore indicate an 11% clock for clock (IPC) improvement over the previous generation. The Ryzen 5 3600 is in competition with Intel’s hex-core i5-9600K. AMD continues to push the multi-core performance envelope: benchmarks show that the 3600 has a 27% overclocked 64-core advantage over the 9600K but that the i5-9600K leads by 14% on single, quad and hex core workloads which translates to 14% higher fps for gamers. Additionally, the 3600's memory controller, although significantly improved over previous Ryzen iterations, still has limited bandwidth and high latency which can impact gaming. The Ryzen 3000 processors all include coolers and although they will be launched alongside the new mainstream X570 chipset (which is PCIe 4.0 enabled), they are backwards compatible with 400 and even the 300 series motherboards. At $198 USD, the 3600 offers reasonable value for workstation users. [Jun '19CPUPro]

The 6 core, 12 thread Ryzen 5 2600X is one of four new AMD second generation of high-end desktop Ryzen processors (codenamed Pinnacle Ridge) renowned for excellent value multi-core performance. The 2600X is set to replace the also 6 core, 12 thread 1600X as AMD’s new mid-range Ryzen 5 flagship. The latest generation of CPUs features a matured Zen+ chip architecture with 12nm lithography, increased clock speeds and Precision Boost 2 technology designed to leverage more CPU power than per the first generation. The 2600X appears to have stock base / boost clock speeds of 3.6 / 4.2 GHz. This is only marginally faster than the 1600X’s 3.6 / 4.0 GHz. Modest effective speed improvements are expected, although further benchmarks are necessary to draw firm conclusions. The 2600X ships with a Wraith Spire cooler and is priced reasonably at an expected $250. However, for most use cases, the new lower clocked Ryzen 5 2600 at $200 represents better value for money. Pinnacle Ridge processors are designed to work with the new 400 series motherboards, which allow for greater overclocking head room, and they are also backwards compatible with the 300 series motherboard following a bios update. [Apr '18CPUPro]

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